National Skills Strategy for Local Government - Leadership

National Skills Strategy for Local Government - Leadership

To aid implementation of the National Strategy Skills Shortage Strategy for Local Government, a platform of initiatives has been created around the four strategic objectives of the strategy. The platform demonstrates the activities, partnerships and collaborations currently being undertaken by local governments, state and national local government associations and peak professional bodies.

Strategic Objective 2 - Leadership in Local Government

To build and showcase 21st century local government business practices that empower, build knowledge and effectively use resources and technology.

The challenges include developing new styles of local government governance and operations that will reduce the demand for particular skill sets, create capacity for more flexibility in work structures and facilitate movement of the workforce across a range of activities and functions.

Strategies for the Future

1. Seek funding to establish Local Government Scholarships for Leadership in Regional Workforce Development – funded by Minister for Vocation Education and Training as part of the National Local Government Awards. The award criteria relate to development and provision of:

• Flexible work arrangements
• Training and professional development

2. Develop a number of Employer Demand Demonstration Projects at regional levels based on recruitment, employment and retention strategies, to increase participation in the workforce of people with a disability, parents, those over 50 years of age and the long term unemployed

3. Establish a virtual Local Government Leadership Centre – as a Centre of Excellence that promotes and develops innovative management and organisational practices. The internet-based centre would act as a clearing house of information regarding initiatives developed and adopted across Australia to address skills shortages, provide templates and tool kits for use by local governments, provide information on training and development opportunities and promote local government as an employer of choice with leading humanrResource practices.

4. Seek funding for New Ways of Working projects that develop and pilot strategies to reduce the demands on professionals’ (tertiary qualified and technical staff) time, enabling them to focus on work which requires their expertise and therefore making better use of available technical and professional skills within local fovernment.